Certified for Free! Top Online Bartending Courses You Can Take Today

Attending a free bartending course online is a great way to learn basic bartending skills. It’s fast and effective and you can do it from the comfort of your home.

Free Bartending Courses Online

Here’s a list of the best free bartending courses (and a few affordable ones) that teach bartending basics. Once you go through them, you’ll have a certificate to show for it on your resume when you apply for bartending jobs.

Typsy’s Bartending for Beginners

Typsy’s Bartending for Beginners course teaches everything you need to know to start working. It’s also only 30 minutes and five seconds long. The certificate you get upon completing the course shows that you’ve learned the relevant skills to be job-ready.

This introductory course includes 11 lessons from Charlie Ainsbury, Australia’s most-awarded Bartender. Charlie will cover topics such as:

• Essential Bartending Tools
• How To Measure Cocktails
• Essential Cocktail-making Techniques
• How To Garnish Cocktails
• Picking the Right Ice for Cocktails
• The Cocktail Formula
• The Sour Cocktail Formula
• The Punch Cocktail Formula
• How To Keep Your Bar Clean
• The Life of a Modern Bartender
• Turning Bartending Into a Career

The fact that you can learn lessons from an industry professional like Charlie Ainsbury for free and for 30 minutes makes this course worth it.

Check out Typsy’s Bartending for Beginners to learn the basics today.

Bartending 101: Seven Simple and Delicious Drinks

This is another free introductory course for aspiring Bartenders. The course lasts for 31 minutes, and while you don’t get a certificate upon completing the free course, you can join their paid courses to get one.

The course is taught by Michael Rego, an award-winning Bartender who works in Stonehurst Manor. Stonehurst Manor is a luxury boutique hotel located in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. The course features nine lectures; seven of which focus on his magic drink recipes whereas the remaining two are bonus lectures.

• The Avatar
• La Fleur Martini
• The Antioxidant
• The Three Hour Tour
• Asian Pear Mojito
• Bigelow Basil Martini
• Blitzen Martini
• Bonus Lecture 1: Recipe Book
• Bonus Lecture 2: 6 Prohibition Era Drinks

So, is this course worth taking? Well, if you’re looking to improve your cocktail game — definitely. However, if your priority is to get a certificate — probably not.

Learn how to make these delicious drinks by going through the Bartending 101: Seven Simple and Delicious Drinks course.

Ananas Academy’s Bar Service Skills

Ananas is a training program focused on the hospitality industry. The main focus of the platform is training bar owners and managers to onboard new staff. The Bar Service Skills course includes 62 lessons divided into the following 12 sections:

• Introduction
• Terminology and Bar Calls
• Glassware
• Essential Bartending Tools
• The Bar Station
• The Bar Cellar
• Bar Preparation
• Beer Service
• Wine Service
• Mixed Drinks Service
• Round Building
• Closing Words

You can go through their free bartending courses online at your own pace. Once you’ve passed the course, you can click the Get Diploma button to download your certificate.

Visit Ananas Academy to see what else they have to offer.

Skill Share’s Intro Into Mixology

Skill Share’s Intro Into Mixology course will up your cocktail-making game in just 30 minutes. You must sign up for the free trial period to get a month of free bartending courses online.

This course is taught by April Wachtel, a cocktail instructor and entrepreneur. April owns Cheeky Cocktails, a company that has been featured in The New York Times and Washington Post. The course is divided into five lessons:

• Introduction
• Tools and Space
• A Word on Ingredients
• Basic Techniques
• Garnishes
• The Assignment

While this course won’t get you a certificate, you’ll learn the necessary bartending basics. This will allow you to make your own custom cocktails at home using different spirits.

Get a glimpse into the world of mixology with Skill Share’s Intro Into Mixology course.

The Bartender School Online Free Course

This bartending school offers a free bartending course. The course is set up by Mark Unger, a bartender with over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry. The courses are constantly updated from student feedback and to make sure they’re up to date with the latest bartending trends.

It includes 106 lessons divided into 20 sections. While it’s one of the longer courses, it goes into detail and teaches everything you need to know to become a bartender. Here’s a list of the 20 sections:

• Introduction
• Quick Start
• Hard Skills
• Soft Skills
• Liquor
• Cocktail Recipes
• Beer
• Wine
• Bar Sanitation
• Bartender Customer Service
• Bar House Policies
• Bartender vs Customers
• How a Bar Operates
• Banquet Bartending
• Bartender Job Perparation
• The Bartender Interview
• Your 1st 30 Days On the Job
• The Possibilities Are Endless
• Bar Terms and Slang
• Course Resources

Mark is also working on an advanced bartending course that you can get for free if you go through the completely free course and give him constructive feedback via email.

Visit the Bartender School Online website to find useful information and more details about the free course.

Alison’s Introductory Course on Alcoholic Spirits

Learn everything you need about cocktail making, aging processes and more in this free course on alcoholic beverages. The course takes 1.5 to 3 hours, after which you’ll earn a CPD Accreditation.

Alison’s Introductory Course on Alcoholic Spirits has two modules. The first one teaches the Alcoholic Spirits Fundamentals, and the second one is a course assessment. Here’s a list of courses included in the first module:

• Alcoholic Spirits Fundamentals – Learning Outcomes
• Introduction to Spirits and Distillation
• Classification of Spirits
• Bartending Gears and Equipment
• Alcoholic Spirits Fundamentals – Lesson Summary

Those who complete the course get a digital and hardcopy certificate.

Complete Alison’s Introductory Course on Alcoholic Spirits to up your beverage knowledge on spirits.

Bars and Bartending School Online Courses

The Bars and Bartending School provides all the information you need to become a Bartender. Their website contains links to bartending video tutorials and pages that go into detail about all things bartending.

Some topics that they cover include:

• How To Become a Bartender
• Drink Recipes
• Bar Tricks and Bets
• Bar Glassware
• Bartending Terms

This isn’t your typical course that teaches through structured lessons. Instead, you learn at your own pace by reading the useful information they have compiled throughout their pages.

Visit the Bars and Bartending website to find tons of useful information on everything bartending.

Safety Culture’s The Bar World of Tomorrow

Safety Training is an online platform that provides courses for many different industries. Their Bar World of Tomorrow is a course described as more than training — it’s a mindset, a posture and commitment to a sustainable, responsible and sociable bar culture. The course includes 13 lessons:

• Introduction
• Brand Knowledge
• Sourcing Fresh Ingredients
• Responsible Service
• Preventing Single Use in Service
• Waste Management
• Save Water and Energy
• Ice Management
• Achieving a Work-Life Balance
• Creating a Culture of Wellbeing
• Workplace Policy
• How To Get Started
• Reopening the Right Way

Visit Safety Training’s The Bar World of Tomorrow course to see everything it offers.

Typsy’s Gin Basics

Typsy offers a specialized course for Gin enjoyers. As one of the most popular spirits in the world, every Bartender should aspire to take their gin knowledge to the highest level. The course is taught by JJ Goodman, a successful professional Bartender who owns nine venues across London.

The Gin Basics course includes seven lessons that last a little over 28 minutes. You can go through the lessons at your own pace. The included lessons are:

• A Short History of Gin
• How Gin is Made
• Styles of Gin
• The Global Gin Market
• How To Recommend Gin to Customers
• How To Serve Gin
• How To Infuse Gin

Go through Typsy’s Gin Basics course to learn everything you need to know about Gin and get a certificate upon completion.

Diageo Bar Academy Bartender Skills and Techniques

The Diageo Bar Academy offers free online bartending courses on bar management, bartending skills and techniques, customer service and careers, leadership skills and wellbeing in the hospitality industry.

All you have to do to participate in their courses is register on their website. Then, you’ll get access to a wide range of courses and articles. Some of the topics their articles cover include:

• Beer Essentials
• Diageo Bar Academy Essentials
• Exploring Drinks With Food
• Serve With Spirit
• A Bartending Guide to Blenders
• Cocktail Garnishes: A Complete Guide
• How To Craft Quick, Quality Cocktails
• Mastering Beer Service
• Mastering the Art of Cocktail Shaking
• Sweetening Your Drinks With Simple Syrup
• Expert Guide to Pouring the Perfect Guinness
• How To Make Syrups and Cardinals
• How To Craft the Perfect Blended Drinks
• Using Dry Ice and Liquid Nitrogen in Cocktails
• The Art of Building Cocktails Directly in the Glass
• The Art of Layering in Cocktails
• Cocktail Strainers
• The Subtle Art of Cocktail Stirring
• All About the Jigger
• Mixing Glasses
• The Bar Spoon
• Types of Cocktail Shakers and How To Use Them

Visit Diageo Bar Academy’s Bartender Skills and Techniques section to see all the lessons they teach.

Mixology 101 From Casual Mixologist

Casual Mixologists is a website dedicated to providing all the information you would need to make great cocktails. Here, you can find guides, recipes and articles about everything related to Mixology. Their Mixology 101 section teaches:

• How To Stock Your Home Bar
• Bar Tool Basics
• Glassware Explained
• Shaken vs Stirred Cocktails
• What Are Bitters?
• All About Ice
• Garnish Basics
• Must Read Mixology Books
• History of Mixology

Visit the Casual Mixology 101 page to get a more detailed look into their lessons.

Honorable Mention: Cheap Bartending Courses Worth Paying For

Besides free courses, we’ll also list a couple of affordable courses from industry experts who provide valuable knowledge about the bartending world.

Masterclass’ Lynnette Marrero & Ryan Chetiyawardana Teach Mixology

Masterclass is a streaming platform that hosts video lessons taught by more than 200 industry professionals in various fields, including Bartending. 

This particular course is created by Lynnette Marrero and Ryan Chetiyawardana. It’s made for intermediate and advanced Bartenders who want to further hone their bartending skills.

The course lasts for four and a half hours, including the following 17 lessons:

• Meet the Instructors: Lynette Marrero & Ryan Chetiyawardana
• Lynette’s Perspective on Craft Cocktail Culture
• Mr Lyan’s Philosophy on World Class Cocktails
• Get Behind the Bar
• Exploring the Palate
• Solo Starters: Mojito and Whiskey Smash
• Intimate Classics: The Old Fashioned
• Shared Sours: Clara Bow, Margarita, Siesta, and Cosmopolitan
• Silky Egg White Sours: Panacea, Pisco Sour, and Morning Glory Fizz
• Shared Classics: The Martini
• Dinner Party Classics: The Negroni
• Dinner Party Refreshments: Sherry Spritz and Queen’s Park Swizzle
• Party Starters: Tiki and DIY Highballs
• Celebratory Libations: Pre-Batched Cocktails and Punches
• Raucous Drinks: The Lyan Mary
• Pairing Cocktails With Food
• Creativity and Craft

Masterclass charges monthly subscriptions that are billed annually. They have 3 types of memberships:

• Standard Membership at $10 a month
• Plus Membership at $15 a month
• Premium Membership at $20 a month

All membership plans have a 30-day satisfaction guarantee.

Enroll into the Masterclass Lynnette Marrero & Ryan Chetiyawardana Teach Mixology class to start learning from two of the best Bartenders in the world.

Udemy’s Popular Cocktail Recipes – A Masterclass in Cocktails

This course is great for cocktail making. It’s taught by Yan, a master mixologist who owns Panda & Son’s, one of the best cocktail spots in the U.K. He’ll walk you through 23 of the most popular cocktails and explain how you can use different ingredients, alcohol and utensils to make delicious drinks.

This course is separated into five sections that involve 25 lectures and last for one hour and eight minutes. The included lectures are:

• Introduction to Yan, Your Cocktoligest for the Course
• Cocktail Utensils and Home Utensils as Substitutes
• Cocktail #1 – The Classic Daiquiri
• Cocktail #2 – The Cosmopolitan
• Cocktail #3 – The Gin Martini
• Cocktail #4 – The French Martini
• Cocktail #5 – The Margarita
• Cocktail #6 – The Mojito
• Cocktail #7 – The Cucumber Collins
• Cocktail #8 – The Moscow Mule
• Cocktail #9 – The Bramble Cocktail
• Cocktail #10 – The Lynchburg Lemonade
• Cocktail #11 – The Old Fashioned
• Cocktail #12 – The Penicillin
• Cocktail #13 – The World Class Kir Royale
• Cocktail #14 – The Kentucky Fizz
• Cocktail #15 – The French 75
• Cocktail #16 – A Peach Bellini
• Cocktail #17 – Tommy’s Margarita
• Cocktail #18 – The Bloody Mary
• Cocktail #19 – Mojito!
• Cocktail #20 – The On-Trend
• Cocktail #21 – The One Inch Punch
• Cocktail #22 – The Punch & Judy
• Cocktail #23 – Sugar Syrup AKA Gomme

The cost of this course is only $14.99, and it’s perfect for those interested in cocktail-making who don’t know where to start.

Take Udemy’s Popular Cocktail Recipes – A Masterclass in Cocktails class to up your cocktail game in less than two hours!

Essential Bartending Tools and Equipment

To excel in bartending, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with the essential tools and equipment used in the trade. Key items include:

• Cocktail shaker
• Jigger
• Strainer
• Bar spoon
• Muddler
• Various types of glassware

Understanding the purpose and proper use of each tool not only enhances efficiency but also ensures the quality and presentation of the drinks you serve.

Fundamental Cocktail-Making Techniques

Mastering fundamental cocktail-making techniques is vital for any aspiring Bartender. Techniques such as shaking, stirring, muddling, layering and building are foundational skills that influence the flavor, texture and appearance of cocktails. Each method serves a specific purpose and understanding when and how to apply them will elevate your bartending prowess.

Why Take a Free Online Bartending Course?

Taking a free online bartending course is a great way to gain foundational knowledge and hands-on skills without the financial commitment of a formal bartending school. These courses cover essential topics such as mixology, bar setup, customer service, responsible alcohol service and cocktail preparation. Whether you’re looking to start a career in bartending, improve your at-home mixology skills or prepare for a bartender certification exam, online courses offer a flexible and accessible learning path.

How to Choose the Right Online Bartending Course

With so many online bartending courses available, selecting the right one depends on your learning goals. Beginners should look for courses that cover bartending basics, including cocktail recipes, tools and techniques. Those interested in mixology can focus on courses that explore advanced drink-making techniques and flavor pairings.

If you’re aiming for a bartending job, consider courses that include customer service training and responsible alcohol service certifications. Reading reviews, checking course length and ensuring the course includes video tutorials can also help in making an informed choice.

Tips for Success in Online Bartending Courses

Additionally, engaging with online bartending communities, joining mixology forums and watching professional Bartenders on platforms like YouTube or Instagram can enhance your learning experience. Many aspiring Bartenders also benefit from using a cocktail-making app to practice recipes and track progress.

Conclusion

Whether you’re looking to break into bartending, refine your cocktail-making skills or simply impress guests at your next gathering, these free online bartending courses offer the perfect starting point. With lessons from industry professionals, hands-on mixology techniques and even certification opportunities, there’s never been a better time to learn.